Jurgen Klopp 'Close to Crying' After Mohamed Salah Gave Roberto Firmino Penalty

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said he came close to tears when Mohamed Salah handed Roberto Firmino the penalty to complete his hat-trick in the 5-1 win over Arsenal.

Salah had already converted a spot-kick but let his team-mate take a second one for the first hat-trick of his Liverpool career. It was a special moment for the manager:

The first goal had moved Salah into a tie for the Premier League top scorer's lead with Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane. 

Firmino's hat-trick wasn't just the first of his Premier League career:

The Reds were by far the better team on Saturday but faced an early setback when Ainsley Maitland-Niles opened the scoring. Some clumsy defending and a brilliant solo effort from Firmino made it 2-1 in a matter of minutes, however, before Sadio Mane and Salah added to the lead.

The win coupled with Spurs' loss against Wolverhampton increased Liverpool's lead at the top of the standings to nine points, but Klopp said the result from that match barely registered in the dressing room, per the Evening Standard:

The early goal for the visitors didn't seem to deter the league leaders, and the manager praised the reaction from the players, per ESPN FC's Glenn Price:

Manchester City could cut into the nine-point lead with a win over Southampton on Sunday, and Klopp knows the advantage is far from conclusive, per This Is Anfield:

The Reds' next outing will be in the new year against the Citizens, a contest that will likely shape the title race in the second half of the season. Regardless of City's result against Saints, a win at the Etihad Stadium would push the deficit between the two sides to double digits.

Saturday's action was another major step forward for the Reds, who have not won a domestic league title since 1990.